Zhao Jiaqi stopped the terrifying thoughts, smiled, and pointed at the contents of her silk pouch.
"This smells wonderful. Can you sell me a piece? Name your price, and I'll trade you with banknotes, so your father won't discover you have money."
From their earlier conversation, Zhao Jiaqi knew this child was driven by profit. With profit in mind, the girl, who hadn't succeeded yet, had first cast aside the man.
Zhao Jiaqi didn't dare to think about asking for a piece. Even if she did, she would be refused. She understood Wang Hui's character inside and out by now.
Her understanding was so profound that she decided it was better to use money to purchase what she wanted, thus obtaining it quickly.
As expected, Wang Hui didn't think much of it and handed her a small piece of the item. She then asked for a thousand taels of silver.
Zhao Jiaqi didn't haggle or act surprised. She accepted it with ease, leading Wang Hui to believe that this madam was indeed wealthy.
Seeing her pull out a banknote for ten thousand taels from her wide sleeves, Wang Hui, despite her illiteracy, recognized the characters on the note.
"Sister, you've given me so much. I don't have any change to give you back," Wang Hui said, sounding troubled.
She held the ten-thousand-tael banknote, unable to get change, yet unwilling to return the money to Zhao Jiaqi.
However, Zhao Jiaqi had no intention of taking any money back, nor did she ask for change in banknotes.
She said, "No need for change. I really like this. Why don't you give me the goods according to this banknote? I'll take it back and try selling it, see how the market is. Consider it my investment."
The casual mention of an investment worth ten thousand taels truly showed her immense wealth.
Wang Hui was overjoyed. She quickly tucked the banknote into her purse, secured it, and checked it several times before finally relaxing.
"Sister, please wait. My father is in the study talking business with the young master. Knowing my father's slow pace, he won't be out for at least an hour or two. I'll go get it for you, but be careful. Absolutely do not let my father discover this, or I'll be beaten."
Seeing her guilty demeanor, already worried before anything had happened, Zhao Jiaqi thought, "With this kind of timidity, she wants to be a 'female sea king'? That's highly unlikely."
Zhao Jiaqi nodded and gave her a guarantee. "I will be extremely careful and keep it safe. No one will ever know. If we are discovered, I will say I stole it myself and will not involve you in any way. Are you reassured now?"
Wang Hui believed Zhao Jiaqi's words. Her previously furrowed brow finally broke into a bright, chrysanthemum-like smile.
"Alright, I'll go get it now. I'll even give you an extra piece then."
With that, she turned and ran, much faster than when she arrived. It seemed having money could indeed accomplish many things.
Once the girl was gone, Zhao Jiaqi took out the "harmful" item and examined it closely, comparing it to the faint memories in her mind.
It had only been about fifteen minutes when Fan Zehao returned, startling Zhao Jiaqi, who immediately stood up and blurted out, "Why are you back so soon? Weren't you in the study discussing business with the village chief's son? Why is it over so quickly?"
Faced with a barrage of questions and seeing his wife's flustered expression, Fan Zehao simply frowned and said, "That village chief talks in circles. He's endless, and so slow when it comes to serious matters. I couldn't stand it, so I helped him write up a contract and told him to review it. Once he's satisfied, he can sign it!"
Understanding the truth, Zhao Jiaqi quickly pushed him away. "Hurry up and go back out there! Go talk to the village chief. Remember, don't come back until lunchtime. Now, immediately, go! Don't let the village chief get too far."
Seeing his wife's behavior, he was truly startled and couldn't understand what was happening. However, he was obedient and left without asking any questions, his steps quickening into a run.
Standing at the doorway, Zhao Jiaqi watched her husband's receding figure. Her heart silently prayed for Wang Hui, hoping she wouldn't encounter Wang Yuanzhi. If they met, her efforts of the past two days would be in vain.
Meanwhile, Wang Hui was in the storeroom, pilfering items. Hearing someone humming outside, she recognized her father's tune and nearly wet herself. She quickly found a hiding spot.
Just as she hid, her father entered, looking around the storeroom for anything unusual. He was about to step towards Wang Hui's hiding place when Fan Zehao arrived outside.
"Village Chief, you're here! I've been looking everywhere. There's one more item I need to add to the contract. What a careless mistake on my part."
As he spoke, Fan Zehao entered. He hadn't yet understood what was in the room when Wang Yuanzhi pushed him out, leaving him suspicious.
Wang Yuanzhi smiled evasively. "Is something amiss? Come, let's take another look!"
Fan Zehao craned his neck, trying to glimpse the items in the room. He curiously asked, "What is that?"
"Ah, just some old junk. Nothing important. Come, let's see if anything needs adjusting."
Wang Yuanzhi pulled him away. Seeing this, Fan Zehao didn't press further and played along. "I used to be like you. I'd hoard anything we replaced in the house, always thinking it might be useful someday.
But my wife, she didn't see it that way. She threw out an entire room full of my stored items without even asking me. If I hadn't been looking for them out of nostalgia, I wouldn't have known when they were discarded."
Hearing this, a weight lifted from Wang Yuanzhi's heart. As long as he wasn't suspicious, everything else would be manageable.
"Yes, yes. All useless things. It's a pity to throw them away, but they're also of little use. Still, they can be handy occasionally, especially farm tools."
Speaking of farming, Fan Zehao sighed. "Farming used to be truly grueling. Working under the sun, and in the end, we had little left. We couldn't even afford a decent meal. After I married into your family, I vowed that anything related to farming or farm tools, I would neither look at nor touch. I'd stay as far away as possible. The shadows of my past life are deeply ingrained in my heart."
Listening to his rambling, it was clear he believed his words. As long as he didn't look, things would be fine.
"I actually have quite a few farm tools in my room. If you don't want to look, then don't. At our status now, how much grain can't we buy? Don't you agree?"
Fan Zehao nodded, appearing somewhat unsteady, not because he couldn't stand, but because Wang Yuanzhi's arm was still firmly grasping his. Even after leaving the courtyard, he hadn't let go.
It was evident that the items in that room were far more significant than just farm tools.